Charade
by TheDarkAngelNyx
Summary: Draco Malfoy needs a wife. A fake wife. who better to play the role than Hermione Granger? 8years since the war, blood status and house rivalries finally put to rest. Will romance blossom during this charade ? EWE. R&R. Please be kind, its my first fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

**A/N: **My interpretation of Draco might seem a tad OOC but I like it to believe it is what Draco would have grown up to be. Constructive criticism is welcome, I am barely an amateur writer. Hopefully, you won't find any grammar errors as I checked at least 6 times! Read and please Review? Be kind though, this is my first foray in the world of writing. And now on with the story.

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**Chapter 1**

"You need a Mrs. Draco Malfoy. ASAP"

"And _you _are fired." came the prompt yet decidedly grumpy reply from the blonde three time winner of Witch Weekly's most eligible Bachelor who was currently slouching unattractively in his high backed leather armchair. It was ridiculous advice and the matter-of-fact tone it had been delivered in did not do much to help his already foul mood. Draco Abraxus Mafoy, CEO and Chairman, of '_Malfoy_ _Inc_.' did not appreciate being told what to do, especially when the course of action suggested was distasteful to him.

"You won't fire me." Blaise Zabini quipped sporting an easy grin, "I am far too valuable, your CFO _and _one of your best mates. Speaking as both, I can see no other way around this. We both know how important this particular deal is for us. Nathaniel Walken is as old-fashioned as they come. He isn't going to hand over the reins to his teamto somebody who is portrayed as the modern day Casanova however a lucrative an offer you provide him with! Don't.", he said stopping Draco's tirade, "I know your personal life has no bearing on how you run your company but this man upholds family values and _will_ draw a connection between your failure to commit in your romantic liaisons and your attitude towards work. So if you do want this chance as much as you seem to, I would suggest you produce a Mrs. Draco Malfoy soon or at the very least a fiancée if a fake wife is too daunting a prospect for you."

A loud sigh escaped the morose blonde as he got off the armchair and walked towards the fireplace, listlessly poking at the dying embers with the poker as his mind raced to find a solution to this problem which was plaguing his mind. Nathaniel Walken owned the '_Appleby Arrows_' and held the quidditch team close to his heart. He had started his career playing reserve keeper for them nearly 4 decades ago and now owned and managed the team that had stood at the top of the league for close to 6 years now. The only reason he had opted to sell out now had been his declining health and the lack of interest his only offspring had shown towards the team.

Eight long years it had been since the fall of Lord Voldemort. A shiver went down his spine with that thought. 8 years, a good part of the first two had been filled with social ostracization as a result of his family's association with the aforementioned psychopath. He had fled once Potter and Granger had cleared his family's name, his mother now stayed in a small cottage in the south of France and his father had perished of what could only be called post-traumatic stress while under house arrest. He had spent the two years flitting between the muggle world and the magical world learning how a company worked and had started off with a small two room office space with only Blaise for support. It hadn't been easy, any successful business required trust and that wasn't something that couldn't be associated with a former death-eater easily. His potion company had been on its last legs when Potter had swooped in and once again saved his arse by publicly acknowledging his support for '_Malfoy Inc_.' which immediately brought in a stream of wary customers. In 3 years '_Malfoy Inc_.' had gone from a two person collaboration to a Multi-National Corporation with stakes in nearly every sector. And he had extended a hand of friendship to Potter which had been accepted in no time. Today he was a regular guest at Grimmauld Place and could even show up at the Burrow once a month for Sunday Bruch without wands being drawn. Hell, he thought, the very idea of contending for ownership of the Appleby Arrows had come from the new Mrs. Potter.

His quick mind traversed every possible route and landed at the same dead-end that he had been facing for quite some time now. Zabini was right, however much he hated to admit it. Winning this negotiation was going to take a lot more than quick thinking, clever strategy and his trademark never-say-die negotiation skills. His overflowing coffers weren't going to aid him either. He had been backed into a corner and he needed to come out victorious. In a week he would be flying to his summer mansion in Italy for a month long vacation. He had heard through the grape vine that Walken was vacationing in Italy and wanted to grasp the opportunity to influence the man's decision. He wanted this deal and if a wife was what he needed to achieve it then so be it.

"I need a drink, you want one?" he asked, opening the cask of Ogden's finest that was placed in his study in Malfoy Manor for situations exactly like the one he currently found himself in. He handed Blaise his drink and returned to his inspection of the fireplace as if hoping a phoenix would burst forth from the glowing embers and provide him with answers. Since nothing of that sort actually happened, he settled for schooling his features to depict the resignation he felt and faced Blaise whose face reflected the same emotions. He set his glass down and leaned back into his chair, "Let us be clear on something Blaise. This arrangement will only be temporary, I don't intend on tying myself down to somebody for life just because of one deal. So to put it in perspective, I don't need a wife – I need someone who will pretend to be my wife for the duration of these negotiations after which we, as in my _wife _and I, will separate due to unavoidable circumstances. Are we clear?"

Blaise Zabini could not help the smirk that he now sported as he nodded, Draco was approaching the prospect of a committed relationship with the same fear that one would feel while standing at the edge of a high cliff with certain death looming ahead. He failed to understand where this reluctance to commit came from considering all of Draco's peers who were committed were deliriously happy including himself and Pansy. Deciding to tackle that problem at a later date he gestured for Draco to continue hoping that some solution could be decided upon before having to give up this dream deal once and for all.

"So now the question becomes who." Draco pondered setting his crystal glass on the desk before him.

"How about that bint you were seeing till last Thursday? April Something? The one who models for our fashion house? Should I ask Pansy to send her up tomorrow?" prompted Blaise.

Draco chuckled, "And have every conversation reduced to whether my hair is a natural blonde or how many calories are there in anything I consume? Besides, I don't want this to be somebody I would see socially. I don't want my female companions thinking marriage is ever an option, even a fake one at that."

"How about Astoria then? She would jump through flaming hoops if it meant another chance to see you."

"No!" came the quick reply. "I don't want to drive myself crazy voluntarily by spending any more time than absolutely necessary with her! And we don't need someone like her. We need someone smart, educated, witty, simple, elegant but not snobbish. She needs to be able to converse about things other than the weather and the latest trends in wizarding robes. Most importantly she needs to come across as someone who couldn't give two hoots about my money."

"And where are exactly do you intend to find a female with these exceptional qualities?" demanded Blaise, quickly going through every female of his acquaintance to see if she matched these qualities. As he was answered only with silence he raised his eyes to find a contemplative Draco whose eyes were fixed at a picture on the mantelpiece. He followed Draco's line of sight and his eyes widened as he realized exactly who Draco was considering for the role. She was the perfect choice he realized but an extremely difficult one. He reached out for Draco's glass and poured him another drink. He would need it. He left the room, stopping at the door to turn towards the contemplative man who had on a strange demeanor and silently wished him good luck in this endeavor.

Draco downed the drink in one go and looked at his watch. It was 10. The Quidditch match at the Burrow was scheduled for later today at 6. He resumed his inspection of the girl in the picture as he awaited 6 'o clock with uncharacteristic anticipation.

The girl frowned at his miniature version in the picture as the picture him smirked at her. It had been clicked at last month's Ministry Ball. It featured his _friends_ -the term still surprised him after all these years - the Potters hugging; Ronald Weasely with his arm around his fiancée Padma Patil; Longbottom looking sheepish and Loony Lovegood kissing him; Blaise and Pansy making googly eyes at each other; Adrian Pucey and Daphne Greengrass; and himself. And of course, the petite girl who was now rolling her eyes at the picture him, the object of his scrutiny - _**Hermione Jean Granger**_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

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**Chapter 2**

Hermione Granger walked out of her bedroom to find her kitchenette in a mess. To put it mildly, it looked as though a tornado had swept through it. Sending the panic to the back of her mind, she surveyed the damage and calmly moved to greet the red-headed tornado who was now lounging on her living room couch taking a swig off a bottle of Butterbeer. The sloppy grin she received in lieu of a greeting prompted her to jab her wand at him, causing him to jump off the couch with a loud "Ouch!"

"Hello to you to Ronald. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

As her ex-boyfriend rubbed his behind with a look of pain and reproach on his face, Hermione thanked her luck that their break-up had occurred early in the relationship thus being free of any bitterness. The behavioral traits that had mildly irritated them when they were friends had become unbearable in a relationship resulting in a separation. 7 years post break-up they were back to being close friends. She sent him an apologetic grin and was rewarded with a glare followed by a bear hug.

"I haven't seen you in ages Mione! You work too hard. I just came to remind you to be there at the Burrow at 6 today. Don't make excuses; you know Mum's been looking forward to seeing you since forever! Gotta run now, I left Verity alone in the shop."

"I'll be there Ron. " She called after him as he disapparated with a distinct pop. She cleaned up the mess he had left behind with a wave of her wand and sank into the couch craving a few moments of peace and quiet. Being a healer was hard, and weeks like the one she had just had left one rueing the day they had picked the noble profession. The past month had drained her and she had collapsed in her cabin at St,Mungo's last week after which her boss had ordered her to take two months off and recuperate. Glad as she was for the break, she had drawn a blank when wondering what she was going to do in these two months. At least the next few days were busy, Neville and Luna's wedding on Tuesday followed immediately by Adrian and Daphne's on Thursday.

An incessant tapping broke her reverie. Hermione traced the tapping to the window and let in the brown barn owl. The owl flew right out as soon as she had detached its burden. The writing was unfamiliar as was the owl. After scanning it with the appropriate charms, she examined it cautiously. The nasty letters that she had received in her fourth year thanks to that cow Rita were still fresh in her mind. The official St. Mungo's emblem caused her to abandon the caution and open it to read its contents.

A few minutes later, she was pacing the apartment to relieve her of the frustration she felt. She had been petitioning the board of the prestigious wizarding hospital for the last 3 years asking for their approval for her project. The project involved setting up a department for studying the effects of muggle diseases on the magical population and training healers in muggle diseases as well as magical ones. The board had rejected her petition yet again stating the same excuse – lack of funds.

"They could at least think of a better excuse! _Lack of funds_!? They had plenty of funds for that gold statue of Mungo Bonham they unveiled just last week!"

Each sentence was punctuated a fierce jab with her wand at the hapless scratching post at the corner of her apartment that she preserved as a remainder for Crookshanks. With a final jab that turned the post a bright canary yellow, she let out a frustrated growl. Hermione knew those prejudiced old bats on the board would have rejected her petition the moment the word muggle had been spotted. Even being part of the golden trio and the chosen one's best friend hadn't budged them. She had even tried having Harry sign prominently on the last one. That hadn't worked either, though the sheet with Harry's signature on it had gone suspiciously missing till it turned up at a local auction house.

After having exhausted all of her more 'colorful' adjectives in her vocabulary to describe them she filed the note away neatly with her other work correspondence. A shrill ring startled her out of her grim mood. Her cellphone continued to ring with '_Mum_' flashing on its screen. Happy for the distraction she picked up her phone.

"Hello Mum! How's the convention going? How's Dad?"

She listened to her mother with 'Oh really?' and 'That's nice' at appropriate intervals. As mind-numbingly boring she found the conversation, she could not bring herself to interrupt her mother. It had taken her 8 months to find her parents in Australia and restore their memories. Getting them to forgive her had taken another 3. All this while dealing with healer training as well as a strained relationship with Ron had often caused her to burst into tears. She had collapsed into her mother's arms in grateful tears the day they had told her that everything had been forgiven and forgotten. The conversation veered into the region of her romantic life – or lack thereof – at which Hermione quickly ended the call avoiding _that _topic altogether.

The familiar _whoosh _of the floo preceded the arrival of a grinning Ginerva Potter. She dumped her numerous shopping bags on the couch and gave her a hug tight enough to rival the one her sibling had bestowed on Hermione not very long ago. Ginny being Ginny immediately sensed her obvious annoyance that she tried uselessly to hide behind a wide smile. Pushing the bags unceremoniously to the ground, her best friend dragged her along and sat both of them on the couch.

"What is it Mione?" she asked, her worried eyes searching her features for any hint of what was troubling her friend.

Unable to control her temper anymore she let out a scream that caused Ginny to cringe and shoved the rejection under her nose. Ginny sighed and handed her the note back.

"You're being stubborn Mione."

That had her jumping off the couch. "_**I'm being stubborn**_?! So are you suggesting I stop petitioning them just because _they _are too prejudiced to see just how profitable this project is going to be? I know I am right Ginerva, even _you_ know enough not to suggest otherwise. I will not get disheartened because of a bunch of old coots."

Ginny calmly watched her wear a hole in the living room carpet, her arms crossed over her chest. Once the angry tirade ended she cleared her throat. The murderous glare she received did nothing to faze her; she had known Hermione far too long.

"That's not what I meant. You know _exactly _how to solve this problem yet you are too stubborn to actually do it"

The anger turned to confusion that promptly turned right back to anger as Hermione caught on to what Ginny was suggesting. The murderous glare returned.

"I. will. not. ask. _**HIM**_. for. help."

"This is exactly what I meant when I called you stubborn. You know he can and _will_ help. Everybody agrees with me! Come on Mione, he can get them to look beyond their prejudices and actually consider your project for funding."

"I won't do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Talk him today at the Burrow. You need help; he can help. It's a no brainer, even _Ron_ gets it."

Hermione answered her with a gruff 'I'll think about it'.

Knowing that was the best she could expect for now, Ginny dropped the topic. They discussed the upcoming nuptials and other news of their friends over lunch. Hermione waved goodbye as Ginny left yelling at her to think about what she said.

Asking him for help was not something she was looking forward to but she knew it had to be done. She shook her fist in frustration causing the photos on her mantelpiece to fall on impact with her fist. She set them right stopping at the picture taken at last month's Ministry ball. The miniature version of the blonde in question smirked at the picture her. She frowned as the thought of owing him a favor occupied her mind. Her muggle cuckoo clock struck 3. She hoped stupidly 6 o'clock would never come and scowled at the picture of the blonde in question - _**Draco Malfoy**_.


	3. Chapter 3

******Disclaimer:** None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

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**Chapter 3**

Chaos. That was the only thought that crossed his mind as Draco looked around the room. Children creating a ruckus, the wireless spouting music no one was paying attention to, adults standing around in groups talking and Mrs. Weasley putting the finishing touches on dinner. Quidditch had ended as expected with his team winning, after all Ginny Potter – the Holyhead Harpies' star chaser had been on his team. He stood with Harry and both of them were laughing at Ron who was fuming at having lost yet another match. George and Bill soon joined in the good natured ribbing. They stood discussing the match till Mrs. Weasleys shout of "Dinner's ready!" caused the entire crowd to move outside where the tables had been set.

Draco saw the flash of bright blue and the yell of "Uncle Draco!" before the 8 year old crashed into him. Teddy Lupin was his family's repentance. He and his mother had showered the kid with the love and affection that had been denied to his grandmother and parents from their family. It amazed Draco just how forgiving all of these people were. They had forgiven and accepted him into their folds even though he had once associated with people directly responsible for the loss of their loved ones. Even the little boy whose hug he now returned had forgiven him after finding out that his Uncle Draco and Nana Malfoy had once been involved with the sect that had orphaned him. It had been Narcissa's decision to let the boy know everything despite his young age. With permission from Andromeda and his God father, they had told the boy their painful history last year. He had reacted with maturity beyond his years and forgiven them after two weeks of intense lashing out.

Teddy poked him the ribs startling Draco away from his thoughts. He looked down to see Teddy gesturing him to join everyone else at the table. He joined the others in the eating and the yelling that were part of any meal at the Weasleys. He was interrupted in his conversation with George about the WWW's latest product line by a voice that carried from the other end of the room. His mood instantly became somber as he was reminded of what he had decided upon. His gaze fell on the brunette who was fighting a grin at something undoubtedly ridiculous Luna had just said. A sigh escaped him before he could stop himself causing Harry to look at him suspiciously. Averting his gaze, he brought his attention back to George and his dinner but was unable to stop himself from frowning each time he was reminded of his predicament.

* * *

Hermione's smile brightened as she looked around the table at people she had come to consider almost-family. She hadn't had the time to spend more than a few brief moments with anyone this last month due to her hectic schedule at work. Catching up with everyone was just what she needed to lighten her mood after the disappointment the rejection had brought with it. Hiding her grin behind her glass of wine, she continued to nod to Luna describing her latest fauna discovery. Unable to control herself any longer, Pansy interrupted the blonde's description and skillfully directed her thoughts to her wedding instead.

This led to a spirited discussion about dress fittings, cakes, colors and all the assorted details that a wedding involved. As Luna and Daphne described the arrangements, Hermione felt a wave of guilt creep its way amidst the joy as she realized how unreachable she had been because of work. She hadn't taken part in any of the arrangements in spite of being a bridesmaid in both weddings. She had refused being Maid of Honor for Luna before being asked knowing she would be too busy to do the duties that the post called for and Ginny had taken over instead. Both the brides had graciously worked around her schedule and fit in rehearsals and fittings only when she could attend.

Her attention was brought back to the conversation as Daphne asked her about her schedule that week. The news of her two month break was met with whoops of joy from the girls which turned the entire table's attention to them. The news travelled and everyone voiced the same opinion in different words of how she deserved the break as that she worked too hard. Smiling at the joyous reactions around the table, her eyes met gray ones. Her thoughts were instantly forgotten as she studied the stormy gray eyes. Hermione had always held that the eyes were a window to the soul and his were no different. No matter how stoic his face looked, his eyes spoke volumes. Right now, even from across the length of the table she could see that his eyes were a shade darker than normal. Her study was interrupted by an adorable 5 year old who was trying to climb onto the empty seat next to her.

Helping the child sit properly, she turned her eyes away from the gray eyed blonde. To say Victoire Weasley was beautiful was an understatement and she simply exuded charm. You could not help but pay attention to her. Hermione listened to the girl chatter happily in a mix of English and French but could not still the thoughts taking shape in her mind. Asking Draco Malfoy for help was not an option she wanted to explore but she knew Ginny was right. Having decided to do it, the next logical step was to actually ask him. She tried in vain to gather the right words for asking him but any way she managed to word the favor seemed inadequate. An excited childish squeal made her smile and she shook her head to rid her of any thoughts but the current conversation. She looked up to find Ginny silently studying her. Hermione tentatively smiled at her and returned to answering Victoire's never ending queries.

* * *

Once dinner was done with, the number of guests at the Burrow began to diminish as they began to leave. The large group finally filtered down to the 12 friends as they discussed the bachelor and bachelorette parties. The group moved to Grimmauld Place after bidding Mr. & Mrs. Weasley goodnight to iron out the final details. Clutching a fire whiskey in his right hand, Draco slowly snuck out of the living room which was starting to resemble a battlefield with the conflicting ideas being thrown around. He gulped the drink down, grimacing as the alcohol burnt a fiery trail down his throat. He made his way into the kitchen and asked Kreacher for a refill.

Pouring himself another drink, he walked out carefully avoiding the noisy crowd. He seated himself on the stairs on the upper landing and looked out the window at the raindrops pelted against the glass. His mind once again settled on what had been plaguing him all day. He had wondered all day how to word his – he didn't know what to call it – but hadn't been able to form a coherent sentence. The fact that he had to address Hermione Granger was just adding to his nerves. He couldn't deny that she had been his first and only choice when Blaise had suggested this course of action. But he also knew that the chances of her agreeing to this scheme were less than slim.

* * *

Hermione's eyes searched the crowded room for the blonde and not finding him anywhere, she walked out to check if he was in the corridor. Finding nobody she let out a disappointed sigh and turned, almost colliding with Ginny who was leaning against the door.

"So it looks like you took my advice?"

"Yeah. You were right, he can help. But that doesn't make it any easier." she said frowning.

Ginny put an arm around her shoulders in a way that indicated she knew exactly how Hermione felt.

"Do you want me to ask him Mione?"

Shaking her head in response Hermione told her she would do so herself as they both headed back into the room and joined the noisy discussion.

* * *

The sound of footsteps headed his way caused Draco to look around. Harry Potter settled next to him and sipped his drink. The silence lasted a few minutes before Harry spoke.

"What's troubling you? You have been distracted all evening. You nearly fell off your broom and barely ate anything at dinner. Not to mention, Blaise has been casting pitying glances at you throughout. Is this about the _Arrows? _Ginny told me you want the team and Blaise told me what you discussed this morning."

"I am going to propose tonight."

Harry almost choked on his drink as he stared at Draco.

"_**WHAT?! **__Tonight? _And what do you mean _**propose**_? You're faking it right? Who is the girl anyway? You don't even have a girlfriend right now!"

Draco stopped Harry's tirade and gulped the last mouthful of fire whiskey. He knew Blaise would tell Harry. Harry was the only other bloke Draco trusted. None of the other guys been able to break the barrier he had built around himself other than Harry and Blaise.

"I am going to propose because I need a fiancée. Even if it is just a pretense, a proposal is the right way to do it. And I know I don't have a girlfriend. That's why I am going to propose to my _**ex**_-girlfriend. Your best friend. Hermione."

This time, Harry did choke.


	4. Chapter 4

**********Disclaimer:** None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

**A/N: **A huge thank you to all the reviewers :) And to anyone who is reading this story. I have tried to provide a little more insight into some of the characters in this chapter. I hope it helps explain the way my version of the characters behave. R & R.

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**Chapter 4**

Draco Malfoy was a coward. He had been a coward all his life. As a child, he had tried to overshadow his lack of spunk with a good deal of arrogance and pompousness. Confrontation scared him. It had scared him during the war when he had lain low in the outskirts not sure which group to follow. And it scared him now when he knew he would have to answer Harry Potter's questions. He did what he did best when faced with confrontation – run. He had rushed down the stairs before the raven haired wizard could recover from his shock. Unfortunately, Draco realized too late where exactly he was heading and who he might find there. As a result he found himself face to face with Hermione Granger – in a manner of speaking. It would be more appropriate to say body to body as in his hurry he had slammed into the girl and fallen along with her to the ground. They scrambled to their feet muttering apologies just as the Potters entered. Once upright, he finally noticed the lack of noise around him. Reading his thoughts correctly, Ginny answered his unasked question.

"They all left some time ago. Blaise wants you to call him as soon as you get home."

Nodding absentmindedly, his thoughts still intent on fleeing the scene, he nearly walked into Hermione again. Once more apologies were exchanged. The two stood awkwardly eyeing each other, both too caught up in their thoughts to notice Ginny dragging a reluctant Harry away from them.

* * *

Hermione Granger had always been courageous. She had ventured to the top of the huge jungle gym in the neighborhood park much to her playmates' awe when she was just four. She always did what was right and never backed down from confrontation – unless it was against the rules of course. Only years of hanging around with Harry and Ron had immunized her need to be a stickler for rules. She had learnt that rules could be bent or even broken when it was for a good cause. When she had been sorted into Gryffindor she had silently gloated, glad that the sorting hat had acknowledged her courage and bravery. Her entire lifetime after being sorted, she had spent living up to the ideals of her house – unconsciously most of the time. Yet the most significant characteristic of being a Gryffindor escaped her entirely when it came to matters of the heart – as it did tonight. She stood there uncertainly eyeing the blonde in front of her unable to ask him what she wanted to, trying to use what little courage she had to stop herself from fleeing. She wasn't afraid of Draco or of being rejected. She was simply afraid that she would once again lose her heart to the man.

In the one year that she had been in a relationship with him, she had fallen deeply in love with him. But he hadn't. And that had been what had destroyed their relationship. He could not bring himself to commit. The rich playboy lifestyle was something he enjoyed and though he had never cheated on her, she knew that he would never be serious about their relationship. She had been the one to break off things. Telling him it wasn't working out. It had broken her heart. And it had crushed her broken heart when he had accepted her flimsy excuse without question. They had been cordial after that, friends even. Hermione had never let on that she had been in love with him and had vehemently denied it when Ginny had alluded to it.

It was then that she had discovered how irritating it was to have friends like those she did. In spite of her protests Ginny and the other girls had quickly caught on to how much in love with Draco she was. Harry too had observed it. Blaise, she suspected had known even before she had. Only Ron, Neville and Adrian still remained oblivious. Thankfully though, they never brought the issue up. But she often wished she could obliviate the whole lot of them when they cast sympathetic looks at her after seeing Draco with yet another bimbo on his arm. She maintained that it did not affect her and had told those nosy idiots the same thing countless times. But somewhere deep down, she knew it had. A part of had her still wanted to lose her sanity in those beautiful gray irises, wanted to be back in the comfort of his warm embraces and wanted more than anything to spend eternity with him. She had carefully stomped out that part of her by subjecting it to all the flaws that Draco had after magnifying them.

Hermione knew Draco would do what she asked him to do in an instant. Not only because she was asking him to do it, but because he believed in her project. He had supported her wholeheartedly when she had first come up with the idea. He had even asked if she wanted him to intervene the two times she had been rejected during the one year they were together. She had refused then, not wanting anyone to think that she had got the approval only because of her relationship. When she had asked Harry for help, he had once again offered his assistance but she had again refused, the reason being the same as her unexplained anger at Ginny's suggestion that she ask him for help this time. She was afraid that once she began to acknowledge his good side, she would lose control of her heart and the part of her that still loved him would take over once again. Thus, the fury when Ginny had suggested his name and the reluctance to accept that she was right.

Eventually, her strong mind had won over her feeble heart. Her mind immediately squashing all of her fears by repeatedly reassuring her that she was in no danger and that whatever feelings she had for him had disappeared. Thus, she had decided to heed Ginny and ask him for his help. Her indecisiveness at this particular moment was once again won over by her mind with the same argument. Throwing caution to the winds she began to speak.

"Draco I need a favor."

The weak voice that sentence had been uttered in only served to infuriate her and she cleared her throat discreetly while she waited for his answer. The blonde didn't disappoint. His eyes immediately narrowed in concern as he nodded asking her to continue. She pulled out the 's letter from her pocket and handed it to him silently. Recognition flashed in his eyes swiftly followed by reassurance when he saw the familiar sigil of the hospital. She knew immediately that her belief and Ginny's hadn't been wrong. He would help and knowing him, he wouldn't step away until he was sure that the project had been approved and measures had been taken to get it started. She watched as he scanned the letter dispassionately, smirking in contempt when he reached the excuse they had given her for the rejection. Handing the letter back to her, he gave her one of his rare smiles.

"Don't worry about it Mione. I'll make an appointment with the board first thing on Monday. You'll get your approval by the end of the month."

The muffled shout of surprise indicated that the Potters were eavesdropping on their conversation and the extendable ear that was peeking out from the corner of the living room doorway only cemented that idea. Chuckling, she walked into the living room to find a sheepish Ginny and Harry who were trying to unsuccessfully hide the flesh colored device. Draco had followed her in and he watched amused as she half-heartedly glared at the Potters. She broke into a grin in the middle of her first sentence reprimanding them causing Ginny to leap out of the couch and hug her.

* * *

Ginevra Potter was delighted. She had known that Draco would never refuse but the confirmation of his help still brought joy as she knew that the approval was now only a formality. Nobody refused Draco Malfoy. He had money, connections and power. She thanked her stars that Hermione was on vacation. Her job had the nasty habit of interrupting every significant conversation. It was almost as if her colleagues spied on her and paged her only when she was in the middle of something. The effect that loud buzzes emanating from her wand accompanied with glowing light that alternated between red, blue and white depending on the nature of the emergency generally had a dampening effect on conversation. She was glad that this conversation hadn't been interrupted by her page and it only added to her joy that Hermione finally had a break from her hectic schedule.

So much was her joy that she almost missed the look that her husband shared now with the man. She would have missed it altogether if Draco's amused smirk hadn't slipped right off when he had caught Harry's eye. She had sensed Harry's agitation since he had come down with Draco but the tight lipped man had refused to let anything out. She released Hermione and let the beaming girl walk up to Harry. The grim look immediately turned into a warm smile as he conversed with his best friend. Ginny looked again at Draco who looked almost pained at something. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice her walking up to him and leading him to where the other two were standing. Sensing that whatever was troubling him was not something he would share with her at this time, she did the next best thing to comfort him. She smiled at him and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Ginny had begun to see the troubled man behind the pompous arse Draco pretended to be since she had befriended him three years ago. She had had a healthy distrust for him initially yes but the wholehearted support that Harry showed him had her begrudgingly respond to his attempts at friendship after his heartfelt apologies for the way he had treated all of them in the past. From then on there was no looking back. She had become a sort of confidante for Draco after Blaise and Harry.

Her small gesture of comfort did not go unnoticed and the Slytherin gave her a grateful smile that could have been mistaken for happiness if his troubled eyes hadn't betrayed him. Silently assuring her that he was fine, he joined in the conversation and urged her to do the same by directing a remark at her. Harry's grim look returned for a moment before it morphed into something resembling pity as he too recognized the turmoil in Draco's eyes. She watched as Harry relaxed his stance and sent a half-smile in the blonde's direction. Draco's stiff shoulders relaxed slightly as he visibly reacted to Harry being ok with him. Ginny once again wondered what could have caused so much discomfort between the two as the two were now as good friends as Harry and her brother were despite whatever either said to deny it. Deciding to not ruin what little time was left before the two guests had to leave, she turned her attention back to Hermione who was describing her project and the board. A few minutes later, both Hermione and Draco decided to leave. The Potters stepped out on the street with them to the alley where they were to apparate from.

* * *

Before parting, Hermione thanked Draco for offering to help which he brushed off with a smile. This exchange brought out a mischievous quip from Ginny.

"So Draco, what are you going to demand from Hermione for the favor you are doing her?"

She did not expect the pale faces that both Harry and Draco now sported. Hermione, oblivious to the men's reaction laughed merrily, turned to Draco and enquired in a cheerful voice.

"Yes, what _are_ you going to ask me to do Malfoy?"

"Marry me." he blurted out, face still pale.

Hermione laughed while Draco clapped a hand over his mouth. Harry shook his head reproachfully while Ginny gaped. It took a while for the brown haired witch to realize that the blonde hadn't been joking. Her laughter died out and she gasped in shock. The silence around the four was suffocating. So severe was the shock that none of them noticed the buzzes and the blue light emanating from Hermione's pocket for a few minutes.

When she did notice, Hermione pulled out her wand and distractedly glanced at it before stuffing it back into her pocket.

"I need to go."

With that and one last glance at Draco who now looked deathly pale, she disapparated before anyone could recover enough to ask why she was being paged during her vacation. Her departure caused Draco to cast an apologetic look at Harry before he himself disapparated.

The two Potters stood in the alley with Harry looking grim and Ginny gaping. Funnily enough, when she recovered enough, Ginny's first thought was that Hermione's work had interrupted yet another significant conversation. Only then did her hazy mind clear enough to notice that while Harry looked indignant, he was totally devoid of shock. She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the house determined to make him spill everything he knew. She stopped only once they were in their room.

"Out with it Potter."

The hands on her hips and the fury in her eyes reminded Harry so strongly of his mother-in-law that he felt like a naughty child. His wife was formidable. Having been at the receiving end of her bat bogey hexes he knew just how scary she was. He cringed and then readied himself for an unsavory conversation.

It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Having friends was definitely overrated, he decided. Weren't friends supposed to be comforting in times of distress? Weren't they supposed to be there for you through thick and thin? Not that he was the foremost authority on the subject, but Draco Malfoy was quite certain that friends weren't supposed to drag you out of bed when it was still dark out and scream at you till your ears bled. Nor were they supposed to let the aforementioned things happen to their friends and stand around watching with an infuriating grin in place. And they were certainly not supposed to let their wives shoot hexes at you without a fair warning that it was going to be happening. Yet on this morning, Draco watched bleary eyed his so-called friends standing around his bed at 6AM as green bats flew around his head.

Ginny Potter had just finished her tirade, most of which he had missed because he had been busy shooing away the bats around his head while dodging the other hexes she threw at him. He was sure if they were part of those ridiculous things called cartoons which Teddy had formed a habit of watching, she would have steam coming out of her ears. Her face was already a shade of red that almost matched her flaming red hair.

Blaise stood leaning against the bed post sporting a grin that made Draco want to strangle him. He had not even pretended to try and stop Ginny when she had used him as her dueling dummy. He had in fact looked on with an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes and Draco was sure he had heard him whisper suggestions on which hex to use next in the brief pauses in Ginny's spell casting. Scowling at him, Draco turned to the raven haired wizard who was attempting to calm his wife down.

To his credit Harry had tried his best to stop Ginny, although he had made any attempt only after she had thrown about 10 hexes at him. Once his wife had calmed down enough to be trusted with a wand again he turned to Draco who shot him a weak half smile. Harry stood scanning him for a few seconds before Draco felt a solid whack on the side of his head that had his ears ringing. He now saw stars along with the bats.

* * *

A good half an hour after the Malfoy scion had woken up to a screaming red head at the foot of his bed, the four of them moved to the living room to have what could be deemed as a civil conversation. Draco had demanded that Ginny hand her wand over to him before they sat down to talk which had earned him a glare but she had handed it over to him nonetheless. He then confiscated Harry's and Blaise's wands as well to make sure she had no access to wands at least for the length of their conversation. Seated as comfortably as one could be when expecting a storm he cleared his throat to begin.

"So … Where do we start?"

"How about we start with deciding who will be your best man?"

The attempt at humor did nothing to lighten the atmosphere and at receiving identical glares from the other three occupants of the room, Blaise shrugged and leaned back into the couch.

"How about we instead start with _what in the name of __**Merlin**_ prompted you to think of this _preposterous_ idea?" The question directed at him from the angry redhead caused Blaise to leave his relaxed posture and settle into a more serious one.

"Hey! Don't insult the idea. It was pure genius! Now the way that this idiot went about it, that was _beyond_ stupid!"

"_Pure genius_? Prompting him to find himself a _**fake wife**_ is _pure genius_?" Ginny Potter whipped around to deliver the rest of her rejoinder to the blonde who was the subject of this discussion.

"Are you really _that_ desperate? I would have **never** told you about the _Arrows_ sale if I had known _**this**_ was how you intended to go about it! When are you _ever _going to learn that there are things more important than your company? If that man won't sell you his team because you have basically been gallivanting around with more women than I can count, then so be it! That _does not_ mean you resort to _**such**_ desperate measures! It is _not _**that** important! Setting aside the fact that the entire scheme was idiotic to begin with, _what on earth_ made you decide to involve _**Hermione**_ in this?"

Harry backed up his wife, albeit in a much calmer manner. "She's right you know. I said as much to Blaise when he told me what you both had decided to do. I knew dissuading you would do no good so I thought I would wait to see who you picked. I never in my wildest dreams thought you would pick _**Hermione.**_"

"I must admit, I figured out you were going to pick her when I left you staring at her picture yesterday morning." Blaise volunteered.

This piece of information shocked both the Potters but before they could go off on a tangent about how Blaise should have told them, Draco began to speak.

"My company has always been my first priority Ginny. It was what helped me win back everything that I lost. And the bid for the _Arrows_ **is** important. If I own a top of the line Quidditch team, it would be the proverbial cherry on the top. So, the fake wife issue is non-debatable. I _need_ to seal this deal. As for the _**Hermione**_ part of it" he winced, "I admit that wasn't the _brightest_ idea. But you'll have to agree, she'd be the perfect choice."

"Is having her pretend to be your fiancée/wife a way of making her pay for the favor you'll be doing her by talking to the board?"

"_**What? **_No! I would never hold something like that over her head! I thought you knew me better Ginevra."

Ginny responded with a desolate sigh, "I thought I did Draco. But the Draco Malfoy I know would never do something _this_ _**stupid**__._ Leaving aside everything else, has it occurred to you that you are simply too well known for this _ridiculous_ scheme to work? If there had been even a hint of you being in a serious relationship, let alone engaged or married, those nosy reporters would have made the entire wizarding world aware of it! And if Hermione were involved in this, there would be nothing but articles about the two of you in the papers!"

Both Blaise and Draco stilled at this. It had never occurred to either of the men to consider the media scrutiny that they all received. They had gotten so used to living high-profile lives that the media attention had become part of their daily routine.

"Well, we could say that they have been keeping it under wraps for exactly that reason." Harry prompted. "We could say that they didn't want added pressure on their relationship."

Before Ginny could protest, Harry caught hold of her hand discreetly and gave it a gentle squeeze. Understanding the gesture as couple-speak for 'I'll explain later', Ginny grudgingly allowed him to continue.

"You need to speak to Hermione before any of this. Merlin only knows what that her overactive brain has come up with! She is going to be your _**last **_choice for this. And that too **only** if she agrees whole-heartedly."

"I will make sure he does exactly that. Now what were you saying?" The Italian leaned forward eager to see how to fix what he had missed.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was rarely nervous. So, after he had lowered his raised hand for the fifth time after failing to ring the doorbell, he started to give himself a stern lecture on bravery. He had managed to chase out the early morning intruders after they had formed a plan of action. Unfortunately for him, the first task in the agenda had been him talking to Hermione. Thus, he found himself standing in front of her apartment at 9AM on a Saturday morning. He had considered flooing in or apparating but Ginny had immediately shot down both ideas.

He finally rang the doorbell after 10 more minutes of indecision and waited somewhat impatiently while his brain went into overdrive wondering what he would say to her once she actually opened the door. 'I didn't really mean **Marry Me, **I meant will you be my fake fiancée?' didn't seem quite appropriate. The door opened interrupting his thought process. He thrust the bouquet of lilies he had been holding towards the person on the other side as a reflex. Only then did his addled mind clear enough to notice that it was not Hermione who had opened the door.

The stunning blonde looked uncertainly at him and then at the flowers. He lowered the flowers and raised an eyebrow in question. Her bloodshot eyes and smudged make-up gave away the fact that she had been crying for quite some time.

"You must be Draco. Please do come in. Somebody called Ginevra left a message saying you would be calling. Hermione is in the shower she'll be out in a minute. I was just leaving." With that the she walked past him. He walked into the apartment and closed the door behind him. Before he could wonder who the stranger was Hermione walked into the living room. He placed the flowers in an empty vase and returned her feeble smile. They sat on the couch, both unsure where to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer**: None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

One lunar phase – 28 days. That's how long it took to brew the infamous potion. Three drops of the clear and odorless liquid and most people were ready to spill their guts. It required advanced potion making skills and consumption of a badly made version could result in dangerous repercussions. The magical world took great pride in having invented something so potent. They were reasonably certain that their non-magical counterparts could never possess anything quite as powerful.

Oh how wrong they were. There, in a small glass in her hand was a liquid just as powerful as the truth potion to make you spill your guts – sometimes quite literally. Only, it had to be consumed in larger quantities and its effects seemed to differ from person to person. Fascinatingly, this liquid was a muggle invention which had been borrowed by the magical world. Vodka. Having consumed generous quantities of the muggle truth potion; the blonde felt lighter than she had in months. Even the blaring music and haphazard lighting of the high-end night club couldn't budge the satisfied smirk which seemed to have taken residence on her visage. Her bright blue eyes swept around the club hoping to spot her target. They zeroed in on the large group of people on the opposite side of the room. As if sensing her glance her target turned, she stood still knowing that she was well hidden behind the packed dance floor. Her victim shrugged and resumed conversation with the people around after a few seconds. She moved to a more comfortable place and continued her perusal. She had always got what she wanted and today would be no different. She would have exactly what she wanted and nobody could stop her.

* * *

The nagging feeling that he was being watched refused to leave him. The automatic defense mechanisms that he had acquired because of the war were sounding loud alarms in his head. His casual sweep of the room had resulted in nothing. After a few moments of dwelling on paranoid thoughts, Draco shook off the uncomfortable feeling and went back to enjoying his evening. After the slightly bitter events of the morning the seemingly never-ending supply of alcohol had marginally improved his mood. Joining in on a toast to the soon to be married couples he briefly met Hermione's eyes before downing his drink in one go after the customary sip.

In retrospect, the morning conversation could not have gone any better than it had. They had sat in awkward silence before he had blurted out an apology. At the end of his awkward explanation, she had seemed visibly relieved yet offended. After passing a few scathing remarks on the whole _fake-wife _scheme, she had deemed the conversation finished and had asked him to never mention it again. He hadn't had the courage to persist in asking her to actually consider playing a part of his scheme so he had acquiesced.

The rest of the day hadn't been a bed of roses either. He had had to sit in back to back meetings in order to clear his schedule for the weddings and also for the vacation he had planned. He had ended the day with a blinding headache and the knowledge that he had hired idiots. His day had started to improve only a half an hour ago when he had met up with everyone else for the joint bachelor and bachelorette parties. It had been unanimously agreed to celebrate over the weekend so the wedding plans could go off without a hitch or in this case – hangovers.

He silently asked for his drink to be refilled and cringed slightly as the music grew louder. How anybody could enjoy having their eardrums tortured by this noise that some dared to call music was beyond his understanding. He sank further into the plush leather seat and tried to filter out the noise by dropping his head onto the headrest. His attempts were futile and he decided to give up any pretense and shut both his ears with his hands to block out the offending sound. All of a sudden he heard nothing anymore except whispers. Wondering if his eardrums had finally given in to the strain, he carefully tested each ear. A giggle brought him out of his reverie and he turned to face Ginny Potter who was ineffectively trying to suppress a grin.

"Have I finally lost my auditory senses or have these imbeciles finally decided to spare all of our hearing of the dreadful noise they call music?"

"Neither. I simply silenced everything around us so it wouldn't bother us anymore."

Impressed he looked around the table and noticed that he couldn't hear the rest of them either. Reading his question before he could voice it, the redhead answered.

"It's like we are in our own private bubble. No one but the two of us can hear whatever we discuss as long as the spell is in place and we won't be able to hear them either unless we are directly addressed."

"And why exactly is that? It's not like you to suddenly feel so generous towards my poor eardrums considering you tried to destroy them yourself this morning."

"Consider yourself forgiven."

That response caused him to raise an eyebrow at the girl and she in turn shot him a smile before lifting the spell. The noise invaded his ears again and all thoughts of the unexpected forgiveness flew out of his head as he concentrated on saving his hearing abilities.

* * *

Now it should come as a surprise to most people who knew them that Ginny had forgiven Draco so easily. Her brothers could easily testify that Ginevra certainly knew how to hold a grudge. It had come from years of having to evade her famous bat bogey and other varied spells that she kept up her sleeve when she was miffed with them. She had inherited the famous temper from her mother and where age had mellowed her mother's temper somewhat, Ginny's was still at the peak and at times even her mother was scared of crossing her. At this particular instant her forgiveness came as even more of a surprise as the wounded party was one Hermione Granger.

She had always thought she was the most perceptive of all her friends but in this instant her husband had overtaken her. Where her judgment had been clouded by anger and sheer frustration at Draco, Harry had thought ahead and shrewdly come up with a plan of sorts. Since Draco had no intention of giving up on his idiotic scheme, the best they could do was to make sure that it didn't backfire on him. As far as the Hermione part of it, Harry had told her that Hermione was more than capable of making her own decisions and that none of them should interfere. What had finally convinced her was that he had said that if Hermione chose to help Draco, it would create an opportunity for them to finally have some closure as far as their romantic relationship was concerned. While Harry hoped that it would allow for the two to settle into a comfortable friendship, Ginny's mind had instantly grabbed on to prospect of the two dating again. She silently schemed and wondered how she could convince Hermione to say yes. She had attempted to broach the topic several times but hadn't been able to talk to Hermione freely owing to all the people around them. Ginny had finally settled on a plan of action as they were leaving the night club and decided to begin her mission the next day. She slept soundly that night, her dreams filled with Hermione and Draco's wedding.

* * *

A loud crash woke Harry Potter up and he rushed down to his kitchen to see his wife gaping at a copy of Daily Prophet while a shattered mug lay at her feet, the dark brown liquid quickly spreading everywhere. Kreacher had started to clean up and his wife broke out of her reverie and let out a string of profanities that left him shocked. He snatched the paper out of her hand and nearly cursed as well as he took on the headlines. _Draco Malfoy had lost his marbles!_

* * *

_**Malfoy scion to wed! Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass engaged!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**********Disclaimer**: None of the characters except the OCs belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

**A/N:** I had a mild case of writer's block so the chapter might be a little off. Do let me know how you like it though! :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

It was one of those mornings. One of those delightful mornings when the sky was a clear blue with fluffy white clouds spread across like balls of cotton; when you could see the sunlight gently breaking through the white clouds to reach the earth to spread warmth and light. The birds were singing pleasant songs to each other and anyone who would listen. It was just one of those mornings when you would get out of bed and smile for it was going to be a beautiful day.

But this particular morning wasn't enjoyed by everyone; if the grumbling witch with a pillow over her head was anything to go by. She burrowed herself deeper into her bed, refusing to wake up. So when she was unceremoniously dragged out of her comfortable bed by her best friend, she was a little miffed. She rubbed at her eyes when she was startled by a loud gasp.

"Hermione"

She raised her tired eyes to see a shocked Ginny pointing to her left hand. Her eyes moved down to where Ginny was pointing. Her mouth dropped open releasing her silent scream.

Both the witches stayed still, shocked to silence. Their glances alternating between each other and the elegant diamond ring that was on Hermione's left ring finger.

* * *

Draco Abraxus Malfoy was not a happy bunny. Not only had he been plagued by uninvited morning visitors the second time in a row, he had been awakened to the news that he was now engaged to Astoria Greengrass. He glared at the smiling blonde whose picture was featured prominently on the first page of the Daily Prophet in which she flashed a shiny engagement ring. What made matters worse was that he did not remember if he had in fact asked Astoria to marry him last night. All he did remember so far was walking back to the bar minutes after bidding everyone goodbye. Just one more drink, he had promised himself. One had turned to two and then many more. He had a vague recollection of his throat burning as he had gulped down glass after glass of vodka. He did remember the hazy outline of a girl with bright blonde hair. He shuddered wondering if the blonde in his memories had indeed been Astoria.

His half-hazard recollections were interrupted by a slim hand snatching the paper out of his grasp. Daphne Greengrass paced the kitchen as she mumbled something inaudibly at her sister's smiling face. Her fiancé was watching her pace, his expression alternating between concern for her and amusement at the news of Draco's engagement. Hushed conversations were taking place all around the kitchen as all the idiots he counted as friends had taken it upon themselves to barge into his house to 'congratulate him on his engagement'. Or, as only Weasley had had the courage (or rather the woeful lack of diplomacy) to say, to check if 'he had been drugged with a love potion or had just lost his marbles or if the blonde bint had lied'.

He laid his head on the counter with a dull thump trying to get rid of the beastly hangover his indulgence had resulted in. A loud pop startled him and he turned to see an angry house-elf shove a mug of coffee in his direction. He thanked Poppy for the much needed beverage and watched as she disapparated to the attic where she had retreated to, after having told him off for choosing to marry Astoria. Poppy was one of the new-age house-elves that he had hired after the war. She was paid, given vacation time and was treated much like everyone else. She had in a short time made herself an integral part of his life. So much, that he had felt terrible at having disappointed her when she had told him off that morning.

Once the caffeine laced with hangover potion had entered his system, his foggy memories began to clear. He vaguely remembered the sequence of events that had occurred between his vodka binge and passing out on his bed. He held his head trying to remember something. He opened his eyes with a groan as a clear memory finally invaded his foggy senses. He remembered pulling out a stunning engagement ring and slipping it onto a beautifully manicured hand.

The entire room stilled on hearing his groan. He glanced at the raised eyebrows all around and nodded sorrowfully before banging his head repeatedly on the counter. Everyone in the room was torn between feeling sorry for him and laughing out loud. They watched him for a few moments before resuming their conversations with each other. None of those gathered in Draco Malfoy's kitchen could honestly say that they liked Astoria. Even her own sister tried her best to stay away from her. Familiarity breeds contempt, Daphne was heard saying to anyone who questioned why she maintained a distant relationship with her own sister. It was a universally acknowledged truth that Astoria Greengrass was – well, to put it nicely – obsessive. She stalked Draco relentlessly ever since he had refused to pursue a relationship with her. Even a restraining order didn't stop her. She had even broken into his house and Malfoy Inc. It had taken the genius of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to finally get rid of her. George and Ron had designed a sort of repelling charm that could be added to the protective wards placed around his home and workplace. The spell caused copious amounts of bright green slime to descend on the intruder. After one such incident which had resulted in her golden tresses being ruined for a week, she had given up stalking him.

A strong kick to his shins prompted him to look up into Zabini's face. Blaise was not-so-subtly trying to gesture to him for a private conversation. Rolling his eyes in frustration, Draco grabbed Blaise and slipped into the hallway next to the kitchen.

"What is it Zabini?!"

"I was thinking. Unfortunate though the circumstances, this incident could be useful for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…You needed a fiancée and now you have one. I agree Astoria wasn't anyone's first or for that matter last choice for the role, but we could still salvage the situation."

He couldn't fault the Italian's logic. He sighed dramatically. It looked like Astoria was going to be his beloved fiancée. Before he could wallow in self-pity, Daphne called him back into the kitchen.

"Draco, if you don't mind terribly, could you please show me whatever memories you have of last night?"

The saccharine sweet voice wasn't fooling anyone.

"Blimey! You really don't want him to be your brother-in-law do you?"

Weasley had just begin to chuckle and was immediately scared into silence as Daphne cast him a withering look. It was clear to everyone present that Daphne was definitely not looking forward to Astoria joining their little group.

Draco shrugged and summoned his pensieve. He then extracted the memory and dropped it into the swirling silver. He moved away as the curious crowd began to examine his memory. He started a quiet conversation with the Boy-Wonder who had just arrived. Harry beckoned Blaise to join them and the three of them stood behind the crowd gathered around the pensieve to carry out a whispered conversation.

"Why in the name of Merlin's baggy y-fronts were carrying an engagement ring with you?"

"Well Potter. I have had that ring on me since I made the erroneous decision of agreeing with this prat here." He ignored Blaise's indignant 'Hey!' and continued. "I was going to take the ring back to Gringotts today but clearly I don't need to anymore."

"What are you going to do now? By the by, you might want to steer clear of Ginny for a few days. She's as mad as a hornet. I took me all that I had to stop her from barging in here again to throw hexes at you. She's visiting Hermione now to blow off some steam. Which reminds me, what are you going to do about Hermione?"

He winced at the mention of Ginny. She-Potter got more inventive with hexes the more mad she got. He made a mental note to avoid her like Dragon Pox.

"We were thinking of releasing a statement about the engagement stating how happy Draco is about the engagement and how lucky he is to get Astoria – the usual sappy stuff. The rest we haven't figured out yet. You have to ask him about Hermione." Blaise ended gesturing vaguely towards him.

"Err…Draco? Are you sure this is the right memory?"

The soft interruption caused all of them to turn to the owner of the voice. Pansy was standing next to the Pensieve sporting a confused look. Draco walked up to the counter and rechecked the memory. It was the exact one that had convinced him of his stupidity – him placing the ring on a woman's ring finger.

"Yes Pansy. I am sure. Why?"

"That ring in your memory? Well, it's not same one on Astoria's finger."

The whole room stilled once again. The conviction in Pansy's voice was unwavering. Daphne grabbed the Prophet off the counter and compared the rings. Not that it was necessary. No one knew jewellery like Pansy Parkinson did. She was the best jewellery designer in all of wizarding Britain. Even a few muggle jewellery giants had started selling some of her exclusive pieces. The engagement ring in Draco's memory had been one of her designs. She had given it to him one Christmas. 'In case someone decides to make an honest man out of you', she had quipped.

"That miserable little bat! I knew she was lying!" Daphne screeched as soon as she resurfaced from the pensieve. Surely enough, the entire room agreed with her. Draco did an impromptu jig celebrating his renewed bachelorhood. He graciously invited everyone to stay over for breakfast, an offer that everyone but Harry and Blaise refused. He saw everyone out before sitting down to enjoy his breakfast.

* * *

Poppy had come back from her self-imposed exile once Draco had assured her that Astoria was lying. It was only when they were wolfing down large quantities of Poppy's scrambled eggs did the boy-who-lived realize something the rest of them had surprisingly overlooked.

"Oy! If Astoria is not the girl in the memory, then who's finger did you put the ring on?"

Draco stopped mid-chew as his eyes began to round in horror. Not knowing who you were engaged to was worse than being engaged to Astoria. He swallowed hurriedly and pushed his plate away. He had definitely lost his appetite now. Their solitude was interrupted by the entrance of the Potter owl Ivory. But it was the bright red envelope that she clutched that gathered more attention than her. He hastily opened the howler as soon as she dropped it on the counter.

"**DRACO ABRAXUS MALFOY! GET YOUR SORRY ARSE TO HERMIONE'S APARTMENT RIGHT THIS INSTANT! IF YOU ARE NOT HERE WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF THIS REACHING YOU, I WILL COME THERE AND DRAG YOU BACK HERE! HARRY POTTER, I KNOW YOU ARE THERE TOO! YOU COME HERE WITH HIM OR ELSE! Oh and bring some breakfast, I could really use some of Poppy's marvelous eggs right now."**

The howler disintegrated causing all the three to let out the breath they had been holding. Harry fed his owl a few treats before she took off again. Blaise nearly ran all the way to the floo after muttering hasty goodbyes. Nobody wanted to face an enraged Ginny Potter. Not unless they had to.

* * *

Hermione watched as Ginny paced her living room glancing at the clock at sporadic intervals. Just as the 15 minute deadline she had given the boys was coming to an end, two loud pops announced their arrival. Draco and Harry stood at centre of the room, giving them both unsure smiles. Harry tentatively stepped forwards and handed Ginny a container which she assumed contained breakfast. Having banished it to the kitchenette, Ginny threw a pointed glare at Draco. He looked helplessly at her for clues. Sighing, she walked up to him and lifted her left hand to his eye level.

"Why am I wearing _this _Draco?"

If the shocked gasps were anything to go by, Harry and Draco were just as taken aback as she and Ginny had been when they had found out that morning. Harry elbowed Draco shocking him out of his stupor. He managed to stammer through a poorly composed apology.

"Luckily, no one knows about this. The Astoria thing is going to blow up anyway; the press would have had a field day if they got wind of this too. Look Granger, just take off the ring and we'll be done with it. I mean, all of us know that this was just a drunken mistake. You saying yes was anyway. Wait, you did say yes right? I didn't shove that ring on your finger? I would never do that, I think…"

"Yes, thankfully that old cow Skeeter didn't get wind of it and I did say yes. Unfortunately, ending this isn't as simple as simply taking the ring off."

"What? Why? Oh Merlin, I didn't use a sticking charm or something that juvenile did I?"

"It's more serious than that Draco. You see…"

Her sentence was left unfinished as green flames erupted in her fireplace. A stately blonde clambered out and smiled at her audience. Draco immediately recognized her as the blonde he had seen leave Hermione's apartment the previous morning. He was surprised when she walked up to him and warmly shook his hands. She must have caught his bewildered look.

"You really don't remember much of last night do you? Well at least you still remember your fiancée. It would be a pity to get engaged and then have your fiancé forget all about it."

"You were there when I proposed?" He blurted out.

"Of course I was! You went down on his knee and everything. I didn't hear much of what you said because of the ear splitting noise at the club though."

"I don't mean to be rude, but who exactly are you?" Harry voiced out what had been running through his head all this while.

"Allow me to introduce you Harry." Hermione stepped forward.

"This is Harry Potter and you have already met Draco Malfoy. Harry, Draco, meet Althea Walken."

Hermione watched Draco's face for a reaction. His face paled rapidly as his eyes grew wide. The penny had dropped.

"She's Nathaniel Walken's daughter."


	8. Chapter 8

******Disclaimer**: None of the characters except the OCs belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe. If I did I would be a billionaire by now.

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay! This is a brief glimpse into the past. To give a little more perspective to the characters. Let me know what you think! :) R & R!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_**Interlude**_

She had stopped paying attention to the music a long while ago. All she could feel were the arms that held her close as they swayed to the music. His cologne invaded her senses as she rested her head on his broad chest. She smiled softly and wound her arms around his waist, losing herself to the feeling of being loved. His arms tightened around her ever so slightly and she felt the light pressure of his head resting on hers. At that moment, she knew what bliss felt like.

The music ended too soon for her liking and she groaned softly when he stepped away from her. He chuckled indulgently and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. The applause brought her out of her trance and she looked around the room with a soft blush as she realized where she was. She could see the beaming faces of all her friends and family as they heartily applauded. They walked hand in hand towards the head table where a toddler with bright blue hair was excitedly bouncing in his seat as a regal blonde tried to keep him still.

Ginevra Potter née Weasley watched as her newly wed husband talked with his godson and the handsome blonde. Draco Malfoy was at her wedding. Harry Potter's wedding. She pinched herself discreetly to see if she was dreaming. The sharp pain confirmed that it was indeed reality. Almost two years had passed since the much publicised friendship had first begun between the Chosen One and former Death-Eater; he was now counted amongst their closest friends and family. The war had changed everybody and fortunately it had changed the Malfoys for the better.

* * *

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had held on to the blood supremacy views that had been fed to them since childhood and passed them on to Draco. He had grown up truly believing that those of mixed blood were to be despised. Lucius had joined the Dark Lord because everyone in his circle had; and he had no qualms in doing whatever was commanded of him. Narcissa though was a gentler soul. She was more like her sister Andromeda than Bellatrix and couldn't bring herself to really believe in the Dark Lord. But she had stuck by her husband and done what she thought was right. Neither of them had taken a life however. They had picked on muggles and those of mixed heritage but they had never killed or maimed anyone. Their crime was being mute witnesses to much more horrid crimes that were being committed all around them by those they called friends.

When Voldemort had disappeared the first time, Lucius Malfoy had been one of the first defectors. They maintained their opinions on blood-status but no longer practiced everything that they had been thought to believe in as Death-Eaters. The entrance of Harry Potter caused an upheaval in their world. When Draco's attempt at befriending him failed, Draco had started to resent Harry and his friends. His antiquated views caused him to look down upon Ron and Hermione which only made him dislike Harry more. When Lucius unearthed Tom Riddle's Diary, he hatched a poorly formulated plan to reopen the Chamber of Secrets which would cause Hogwarts to send the muggleborns home. He had been shocked when he had found out much later that the Diary had been a horcrux. He constantly victimized all of those who opposed him whenever he had found the chance. Draco had grown up believing that his father was right and it was his views that should be followed.

It was only when the Dark Lord had risen again that Lucius began to see how wrong he was. When he failed in his mission in the Hall of Prophesies, Voldemort began to belittle him. As punishment, he chose Draco to join the Death-Eaters. Draco had been horrified to see what being on the Dark side truly meant. Despite Narcissa's protests, Draco had been branded a Death-Eater and had had the mission of killing Dumbledore thrust upon him. His reluctance in taking a life had invited further reproach on the Malfoys. But Narcissa had by then allowed the mother in her to take precedence over every other instinct. The Unbreakable Vow she had forced Severus Snape in had been the beginning of her disillusionment. She had convinced Lucius that protecting their only child meant more than any other thing. She had known when the Boy-who-lived had yet again survived the Killing curse that it the end of the Dark Lord was not far. And so she had lied to Voldemort to save Harry allowing him the chance to finish a 17 year long battle.

After the war, it had been tough for the Malfoys. They had been shunned by the few remaining supporters of the Dark Lord as traitors and they had been clubbed with the other Death-Eaters till Harry had spoken out for them. Lucius Malfoy had succumbed to the mental anguish and passed away while under house arrest awaiting trial for his crimes before the war. The Ministry had grudgingly allowed Narcissa and Draco to receive no punishment due to the strong support of Harry and Hermione. Ron and the others had not opposed Harry but they had taken much longer to forgive. Following the much publicized trial, Narcissa had retired to the south of France after giving the Ministry permission to tear down Malfoy Manor. Kingsley had personally watched over the tearing down of Malfoy Manor. The Aurors had gone through every inch of the place before giving the land back to the Malfoys.

Draco had been largely absent too for the first two years. The world heard of him again only when he and Blaise had together started a small Potions company. As expected, they hadn't had much success even though Blaise had never been associated with the Dark Side. Neither Harry nor any of the others had had any inclination to help them out. They had kept Draco out of Azkaban and that's all they were concerned with. Six months after _Malfoy Inc_. had been set up, good fortune struck them.

Hermione had been starting out as a healer and was faced with a particularly tough case in which a four year old had been hit by an unknown curse. They had induced a coma and managed to slow down the curse but it was no secret that the child would soon be dead. It had been a case that was closely followed by the press and general public as the patient had been the daughter of a high ranking Ministry official. Hermione had thrown herself completely into the girl's treatment. She worked tirelessly trying to find a cure. But no spell or potion seemed to work and everyone had all but given up hope. Harry had turned to _Malfoy Inc. _as a last resort after Hermione had cried herself to sleep once again. With his intimate knowledge of Dark Arts that he had been forced to learn in his brief stint as a Death-Eater, Draco was able to come up with a potion that was able to stop the curse from worsening. Stephanie, the patient, had been brought out of coma and Draco had worked day and night with the healers till they had finally come up with a combination of spells and potions that reversed the effects of the curse completely.

The incident had earned the young Malfoy grudging respect from everybody. Harry had made sure that Draco's part in Stephanie's recovery was well covered by the press. The Daily Prophet had run an article outlining the blonde's potion making prowess. The press coverage along with genuine skill on the part of_ Malfoy Inc._ had catapulted them to fame. During the treatment process, Harry and Ron had been unofficially assigned to keep a watch over Draco as not everyone trusted him. As a result, the duo had been thrown in constant contact with Malfoy. Civility if not friendship had formed between them. It had not taken long for the civility between Harry and Draco to turn into friendship. His association with Teddy had helped mend the bridges. Draco and Narcissa had made every effort to get to know the toddler from the minute Draco had started up _Malfoy Inc._ and Teddy soon grew extremely attached to his 'Unca Dwaco' and 'Nana Mafoy'. The rest of them had been cordial to him at first but in a year he had grown to be part of the trusted circle. The result of which was that Draco Malfoy was in attendance at Harry Potter's wedding to Ginerva Weasley. And the friends and family present actually welcomed him with warmth.

* * *

Ronald Weasley was not known to be very perceptive. In fact, as his best friend and ex-girlfriend Hermione Granger had once said, most believed he had the emotional range of a teaspoon. He was blissfully oblivious to most things unless they were painfully obvious and sometimes not even then. Therefore, he concluded, what was painfully obvious even to him _**must **_have been noticed by everybody. He had remarked as much to his sister who had immediately caught on to what he was referring to. He watched regretfully as she thought it over; he could almost see the gears turning in her head. He shook his head sadly wondering why he had said anything at all. He knew now that she wouldn't rest until she had achieved her objective. He wondered if he should drop a word of warning in the ears of her target but immediately decided against it knowing that _**that**_ situation could only work out bad for him. Not only would it turn his sister against him, it would also invite the wrath of two very volatile people upon him. He decided that returning to his oblivious state and forgetting that he had ever noticed or said anything was what was best for everybody. Ignorance _**really**_ was bliss!

* * *

"Bollocks!"

"Mind your tongue! There are sensitive ears here!"

The reproach did nothing to stop him and the blonde let out a string of curse words causing the witch to clap her hands over the ears of the toddler next to her. He didn't stop till she was forced to smack him upside the head. He finally ended his tirade with a shocked yelp and shot her a nasty look as he massaged his neck. She agreed wholeheartedly with his sentiments, but there was no need to create a scene; especially when there were children present.

They were stuck a few blocks from her apartment in her car which had chosen this opportune moment to break down. The rain, which showed no signs of abating, was just icing on the proverbial cake. She would have made a run for it, but she did not want to risk exposing Teddy to the unrelenting chill. If only she hadn't insisted that they leave their wands back at her place. She was surprised that Draco had not yet brought that up. Yes, she had called him Draco. After working in close proximity with him over many of her cases since Stephanie, it made no sense that she still persist in calling him Malfoy. Also, all of them had tried to better their relationship with the young blonde for the sake of the young toddler currently giggling away beside her. Draco pulled Teddy onto the passenger seats and the two of them began to play with the child's action figures.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione slowly opened the door to check if the rain had indeed stopped as it seemed to have. It hadn't stopped but slowed down considerably and the two of them decided to make a run for it with Teddy carefully swaddled in Draco's jacket in addition to his own warm clothing. They reached her apartment in less than five minutes and burst through the doors laughing. She freed the young Lupin from the numerous layers of clothing and sent him off to wash up before dinner. She turned to her side to see Draco shake his head like a dog and a few stray drops landed on her face.

He had stepped forward to wipe them off before she could do so. She realized he was standing less than a few inches away from her. As she felt his palm softly brush her cheek, shivers ran down her spine. He cupped her cheek for a second too long and she looked up to see that his grey eyes had darkened and an expression she didn't recognize had taken house in them. He let her go and walked to the door to leave. He paused as he was half out of the apartment, his hand gripping the doorknob a little too tight. He walked back to her and took his jacket out of her hands. She watched as he slipped it on over his white T-shirt which was speckled with rain. He stepped closer and pressed his lips to her forehead for a moment before murmuring goodbye.

Hermione Granger watched him leave. A part of her wondered what exactly had happened while another part of her wished that the moment had lasted a little longer. She stood for a few minutes watching the door before walking into her house in a daze. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she walked right past the redhead who had arrived just in time to witness Draco Malfoy tenderly kiss her best friend.

Ginevra Potter was torn between feeling ecstatic and shocked. She liked Draco well enough now but it was still shocking to see two people who had once sworn to be enemies develop feelings for each other. But the most prominent though in her head was this – How in Merlin's name had Ronald Weasley figured this out before her?!


End file.
